For some strange reason music-related stereotypes tend to die hard. On the one hand the geographical origin of music binds prejudice, on the other we go with whatever we are told and we never ask too many questions. So we just comply with cliches and we think that the best indie rock is British, reggae music and dancehall are “peace&love” genres and so on.

Well, when it comes to heavy metal Edward Banchs debunks all the myths around its African scene with the book Heavy Metal Africa: Life, Passion, and Heavy Metal in the Forgotten Continent.

This musical and anthropological adventure that crosses Madagascar, South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Mauritius Islands and Reunion, began because Banchs holds an MA in African Studies and has always been a metalhead. In 2007 he got into the African metal scene and due to the lack of information available, he started researching himself and went on a tour around the continent to meet the local bands.

Find out more about the book here.

Italian – Heavy Metal Africa | Ecco la scena metal africana che non conoscevate

Cover image | via facebook